Needle control arrangement for a circular knitting machine

ABSTRACT

SELECTED NEEDLES ARE OPERATED BY STEEP GUIDE CAMS TO MOVE EARLIER TO A KNIT POSITION THAN THE OTHER NEEDLES IN ORDER TO CATCH, IN ADDITION TO THE MAIN YARN, ALSO AN ADDITIONAL YARN FOR REINFORCING THE KNITTED FABRIC. THE NEEDLE MOVEMENTS ARE EITHER CONTROLLED BY STEEP GUIDE   CAMS COOPERATING WITH NEEDLE JACKS, OR BY OTHER STEEP GUIDE CAMS COOPERATING WITH PATTERN JACKS WHICH ARE ALIGNED WITH THE NEEDLE JACKS AND NEEDLES.

Nov. 30, 1971 R. FETZER 3,623,341

NEEDLE CONTROL ARRANGEMENT FOR A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 18. 1969 8 Sheets-Sheet l Jul U M92 "HUM-93 "M 4 F's. Ia Imus/wire ram .4 I10 rsrz 5/1 Nov. 30, 1971 R, F TZ R 3,623,341

NEEDLE CONTROL ARRANGEMENT FOR A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 18, 1969 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 VI] VII] f 2 TR WOW 70 5f 5 ef 69 7f 79 8! 89 A I 60 j E Fig,1b I Q' EDWIN/mil All Aw Nov. 30, 1971 FETZER 3,623,341

NEEDLE CONTROL ARRANGEMENT FOR A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 18, 1969 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 4

Nov. 30, 1971 R. FETZER 3,623,341

NEEDLE CONTROL ARRANGEMENT FOR A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Iunurrn mural! 9 F5 2 8" 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 W H! H R. FETZER NEEDLE CONTROL ARRANGEMENT FOR A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Nov. 30, 1971 Filed Aug. 18, 1969 I Dvunwron DICIMM) F011 '4 0, l/(l/ I #ff'f/ R. FETZER 3,623,341

NEEDLE CONTROL ARRANGEMENT FOR A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Nov. 30, 1971 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Aug. 18, 1969 FIG. 8

Nov. 30, 1971 R. FETZER 3,623,341

NEEDLE CONTROL ARRANGEMENT FOR A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 18, 1969 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 III I H W 48 g 1 Q1 M $122? 52 43 WIS; 44 59c L b: MIL-M00 if a V 22 Q g J 11 I A /fl 720% W Imeamn mum/2!) rnz 17 Nov. 30, 1971 R. FETZER 3,623,341

NEEDLE CONTROL ARRANGEMENT FOR A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 18, 1969 8 Sheets-Sheet a I HI Ill ff 7) 0/ United States Patent 3,623,341 NEEDLE CONTROL ARRANGEMENT FOR A CIRCULAR KNITTIYG MACHINE Richard Fetzer, Denkendorf, Germany, assignor to Firrna Gottlieb Eppinger, Denkendorf, Germany Filed Aug. 18, 1969, Ser. No. 850,944 Claims priority, application Germany, Aug. 16, 1968, P 18 85 149.9 Int. Cl. D041) 9/18, 9/38 US. Cl. 66-42 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Selected needles are operated by steep guide cams to move earlier to a knit position than the other needles in order to catch, in addition to the main yarn, also an additional yarn for reinforcing the knitted fabric. The needle movements are either controlled by steep guide cams cooperating with needle jacks, or by other steep guide cams cooperating with pattern jacks which are aligned with the needle jacks and needles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Circular knitting machines for making hosiery are known which have a plurality of knitting stations, at least eight, and which have a cam box with three tracks, namely a track for the needle butts, a lower track for needle jacks, and an even lower track for pattern jacks.

The uppermost needle track controls the movement of the needles to the cast-off position, while the upward movement of the needles is under the control of the needle jacks, or pattern jacks.

By using the needle jacks, a plain fabric, a micromesh fabric, and a snag resistant fabric, as disclosed in the German Gebrauchsrnuster 1,828,478, and also rectangular reinforced areas can be made. The borders of reinforced areas made under the control of the needle jacks are formed by wales and courses.

The lowest jacks, which will be referred to as pattern jacks, produce tuck patterns with a larger pattern motif than can be obtained by the needle jacks. Furthermore, floating according to a pattern, and the making of reinforced areas, which do not have rectangular outlines, is controlled by the pattern jacks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is one object of the invention to reduce the force required for shifting the needles and jacks in the guide channels of the needle cylinder.

Another object of the invention is to provide a needle control arrangement in which the high needle speeds and jack speeds occurring at high rotary speeds of the needle cylinder in knitting machines having a great number of knitting stations, are controlled so that no overshooting of the needles beyond the knit position can take place.

In the German Pat. No. 1,251,456, it was disclosed that during the reinforcements of by additional yarns, the needles holding the reinforcing additional yarn are driven to a higher position than the needles knitting the main yarn. It must also be considered that the jacks must be moved to two different levels when a tuck pattern is knitted. The needles which have to be raised only to the tuck position, move at a comparatively low speed since the respective guide cam is not very steep, as compared with the guide cam for the needle catching also the additional yarn, and when the needle is guided on a less steep cam to the tuck position, an overshooting of the needle is not to be expected.

In accordance with the present invention, those needles which have to knit two yarns, are guided earlier to the 3,623,341 Patented Nov. 30, 1971 knit position than the needles which catch only the main yarn. This can be effected by the use of needle jacks having special long butts, or by the use of pattern jacks located under the needle jacks and acting on the needles through the needle jacks. Between the two knit positions, which are upwardly limited by a horizontal track acting on the needle butt, in every second knitting station, in which the needles are moved to the knit or tuck positions by butts of the needle jacks, a triangular control return cam guides the needle jacks back to the tuck position, and is located between the downwardly slanted tracks controlling the butt of the needle jack. The control cam is substantially aligned with the highest level of a guide cam, acting on the jack butts, and being operable between an inoperative and operative position.

By the control return cam, the needles are prevented from overshooting beyond the tuck position or knit position, and the needle jacks are controlled by top and bottom butts on the same so that they cannot produce an undesired impact on the respective needles. When micromesh fabric or snag-resistant fabric is being knitted, an over-shooting of the needle beyond the first knit position is prevented.

One embodiment of the invention comprises first and second feeding means at each knitting station for feeding at successive first and second feeding points an additional yarn and a main yarn, respectively; a needle cylinder having guide channels; a needle having needle butt means, and jack means having jack butt means movably mounted in each guide channel; cam box means surrounding the needle cylinder and having sections corresponding to the knitting stations of the circular knitting machine, and having at each section, needle cam means cooperating with the needle butt means, and jack cam means cooperating with the jack butt means, the needle cam means including a horizontal track for guiding the needle butt means in the knit position of the respective needle between the first and second feeding points.

The jack cam means includes steep guide cam means for guiding the jack butt means rapidly upward so that the respective jack moves the respective needle rapidly to the knit position in which the needle butt means abuts the horizontal track at the first feeding point, a less steep guide cam means for guiding the jack butt means to a knit position in which the respective needle butt means abuts the horizontal track at the second feeding point, main return cam means cooperating with the jack butt means for lowering the jack means, control return cam means at alternate knitting stations located between the steep guide cam means and the main return cam means and engaging the jack butt means for guiding the jack means to a lower position while the needle butt means moves along the horizontal track, and guide cams at the alternate knitting stations following the control return cam means and cooperating with the jack butt means for moving the jack means and needles again, which were not raised to the knit position at the first feeding point, to the knit position at the second feeding point.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from. the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGS. la and 1b are portions of a developed view illustrating the cams of an annular cam box of a circular knitting machine;

FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating a needle, a needle jack, and a pattern jack in an aligned position for cooperation with the cams of FIGS. 1a and 1b;

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a guide cam in operative and inoperative positions;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view illustrating a guide cam, and control means for moving the same relative to the needle jack butts between three positions;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a feeding of yarns to the needles;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary developed view illustrating a portion of FIG. 11) during the knitting of a plain fabric at one knitting station, and of a 1:1 tuck fabric at the next following knitting station;

FIG. 8 is a view corresponding to FIG. 7 and illustrating the needle operations required for making a micro mesh fabric of a 3:1 tuck fabric;

FIG. 9 is a view corresponding to FIG. 7 and illustrating the knitting of reinforced areas under the control of the needle jacks and pattern jacks; and

FIG. 10 is a view corresponding to FIG. 7, and illustrating the knitting of float patterns areas under the control of the pattern jacks.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing, the needles 70 have butts 70a, respectively, which are operated by stitch cams 1 to 8 in each of the eight stations of the circular knitting machine to move to the cast off position, and are held at a level corresponding to the cast off position by the top edges 1a to 8a of fixed cams which engage the lower edge of the needle butts 70a.

Needle jacks 71, and pattern jacks 72 are vertically aligned with needles 70 and control the same so that selected needles are operated to make a plain knitted fabric, a micromesh fabric, a snag resistant fabric, a float pattern, or a reinforced area which may be rectangular, or not rectangular.

The needle jacks 71 have a top butt 71a by which the return of any raised needle jack 71 is obtained when the top butts 71a slide along the cams 9 to 16.

The bottom butt 71b of needle jacks 71 are engaged in every second knitting station II, IV, VI, VIII by adjustable guide earns 49, S0, 51, and 52 to effect movement of the needles 70 to the tuck position. Each guide cam 49 to 52 is followed by second guide cams 45, 46, 47, 48 which are movable between an inoperative and the illustrated operative position. Every operative guide cam 45 to 48 engages a butt 71b and raises needle jack 71 to its highest position so that the respective needle 70 assumes the knit position.

In order to produce a micromesh fabric, third guide cams 53 to 56 are provided at every second knitting station H, IV, VI, VIII Which, when guide earns 45 to 48 are inoperative, raise the needles to the knit position. Guide earns 53 to 56 are mounted at different levels following the highest points of the first guide cams 49' to 52 in the direction of relative movement between the needle cylinder and cam box. Guide earns 53 to 56 act at the respective levels on the pattern butt 71f, 71c, 71d and 710 which are located between the top butt 71a and the bottom butt 71b of needle jack 71.

In the alternate knitting stations I, III, V, VII, fourth guide cams 41, 42, 43, 44 are provided, which are movable between an inoperative position and an operative position, and act on the bottom. butt 71b for raising needle jack 71 and thereby needle 70 to the knit position. The highest points of guide earns 41 to 44, and of guide earns 45 to 48 are located at the same level.

Each knitting station is further provided with a fifth guide cam 33 to which acts on the top butt 71a of the needle jacks 71, and effects movement of needles 70 to the knit position.

When a plain fabric is knitted, only guide cams 41 to 44 and 45 to 48 are in the operative position so that the 4 needles are raised at each knitting station to the knit position.

When an area of the fabric is to be reinforced by a second thread, or if a pattern is to be obtained by floats, the special yarn guides 91 to 98 are operated, and the yarn is supplied to needles at points 1e to tie which are located ahead of the points If to 8] of the main yarn guides 91a, 91b, 91c to 98a, 28b, 980. In order to make reinforced areas, the steep reinforcement guide earns 33 to 40 are placed in the operative position, and effect faster movement of the needles to the knit position than the less steep guide earns 41 to 44, or 45-48. As noted above, guide cams 33 to 40 are provided at every knitting station, and cooperate with the top butt 7E0.

The needle stitch cams 1 to 8 have bottom edges 1b to 8/; which engage and guide the needles from the feeding points 1e to 80, respectively, where the reinforcing or floating yarns are fed, in a horizontal direction to the feeding points If to 8 of the main yarns.

The feeding points 2f, 4;, a; and 8; in the knitting stations II, IV, VI, and VIII are spaced a greater distance from the feeding points 20, 4e, 6e, 8c of the special threads than in the knitting stations I, III, V and VII, since in the knitting stations, II, IV, VI and VIII, guide cams 49 to 52 are less steep than the guide earns 41 to 44 and 53 to 56 so that overshooting of the needles beyond the tuck position level is prevented.

In knitting stations II and III, the path of the top edge of butt 70a of needle 70 is indicated by lines 2d and 3d, and the ditferent distances between feeding points 2e, 2; and 3e and 3 are clearly apparent.

In the knitting stations II, IV, VI and VIII in which the pattern butts 710 to 71 of the needle jacks 71, see FIGS. la, 15, and 2, are operable by guide earns 53 to 56, respectively, return cams 9a, 110, 13a, 15a are mounted under the region between feeding points 2e and 21, and 4e and 4 etc. respectively. Return cams 9a, 11a, 13a and 15a act on the top butt of needle jack '71 to move the same down to the tuck position, and in the lower position of needle jacks 71 the same cooperate with guide cams 53 to 56 and are controlled so that needles 70, which were not raised to the knit position at the first feeding points move along line 26, as shown for the second knitting station II, until the needles are raised by the needle jacks 71 to the knit positions in which the top edge of butt 7tia is located at 2f, 4 6f, 8 respectively, or the needle 70 may be held in the tuck position moving along line 200.

Because of the additional downward displacement of needle jacks 71 by return cams 9a to 15a at the knitting stations II, IV, VI, and VIII, respectively, needle jacks 71 which were earlier raised for a reinforcing operation at 2e, 4e, 6e, and 8e, are moved to the correct position for being raised by guide cams 53 to 56. This additional downward displacement of needle jacks 71 is necessary to present pattern butts of needle jacks 71, which have been raised by earns 33, 35, 37, and 3?, to guide cams 53 to as at the same level as those pattern butts of needle jacks which were raised by cams :9 to 52. Needle jacks which are raised through butts 71a by cams 33, 35, 37, and 39 and again raised by earns 53 to 56 move through an idle motion at the second raising, needles previously having been raised and not yet cammed downwardly.

When the reinforced areas are rectangular, and have lateral edges extending along wales, the width of the reinforced area is determined by the number of needle jacks 71 having special top butts 71a which project farther in radial direction than top butts 71a of needle jacks 71.

Reinforcing guide earns 33 to 46 have such a radial position that they are engaged only by the special high top butts 71a. Stitch cams 9 to 16 by which needle jacks 71 are moved down, engage not only the high top butts 710', but also the short top butts 71a. The lowest points of the fixed return cams )0, 11a, 13a, 1511 have from the highest points of guide cams 49 to 52, a vertical distance H, and the top edge of top butt 71a is spaced the same distance H from the bottom edge of the bottom butt 71b of needle jacks 71.

Since the rising edge following the lowest point of return cams 9a, 11a, 13a, 15a extends parallel to the rising edge of the guide cams 53 to 56 and 44 to 48, needle jacks 71 are confined and guided between parallel surfaces during upward movement and cannot exert a force on needle 70 at the end of the rising movement.

Reinforced areas, whose borderlines do not extend along wales and knitted courses, are knitted under the control of selector means 61 to 64 of known construction, which are controlled by a patterning device, one selector means being provided in each of the knitting stations I, III, V and VII.

For example, if a heel is made only by the knitting stations I, III, V and VI, cam box parts 65 to 68 are operative to cancel the selection in the knitting stations II, IV, VI and VII. In order to obtain an additional rectangular reinforcement, guide cams 33, 35, 37 and 39 can be maintained in the operative position.

The rapid raising of the needles 70 to the advanced feeding points to 82 where the reinforcing yarn is fed, is obtained by reinforcement cams 25 to 32 which cooperate with the butt 72a of pattern jacks 72 so that the pattern jacks 72 raise the needle jacks 71 Which raise needles 70 to assume the knit position earlier than required for the main yarns, as shown in FIGS. la, lb, 9 and 10.

If certain pattern jacks 72 are tilted under the control of one of the selector means 61 to 64 so that the lower ends of the same are located in guide channels of the needle cylinder, the butt 72a no longer cooperates with the tracks of cams 25 to 32, and the respective pattern jacks are not raised. The needle jacks 71 are consequently not quickly raised to the regions 1e to 9e, but are operated in needle stations I, II, V and VII by the guide earns 41 to 44, and in the knitting stations II, IV, VI and VIII by the guide earns 45 to 48 to assume the knit position in the regions 11 to 8] where the main yarns are fed to the needle hooks.

The selected pattern jacks 72 whose butts 72a were placed in the region of the tracks of cams 25 to 32, control needles 70 through the needle jacks 71 so that the needles are steeply raised to an advanced knit position in which the needles can catch an additional reinforcing or pattern yarn for making loops of two threads. All needle jacks 71 are placed by guide cams 41 to 48 in the knit position so that those needles which were not raised by pattern jacks 72 are also fed with yarns at positions 1 to 8f, thus forming single thread loops. In this manner, areas of any geometrical outline can be knit of two thread loops, and it is also possible to obtain patterns by floating yarns.

If a truck pattern is knit under the control of selector means 61 to 64, selected guide cams 45 to 48 are placed in an inoperative position. Guide cams 41 to 44 are not retracted, since it is not possible to make tuck stitches in knitting stations I, III, V and VII. The tuck stitches are made under the control of cams 49 to 52. For example, a plain fabric is knitted at station VII, while at station VI tuck courses are made. Cams 47 and 55 at station VI are not used, while needles selected by selector means 64 are raised by cam 30 to the knit position, since cams 45 to 48 are also unused.

The cam box parts 65 to 68 have slanted cam tracks inwardly rising toward the needle cylinder, and have an operative position in which the slanted cam tracks act on the outer edge of the lower butt 72a of pattern jack 72 so that the lower part of the same is pressed back into the channel in the needle cylinder whereby the butts 72a of pattern jacks 72 raised under the control of the selector means, cannot engage the cams 26, 28, 30 and 32 so that no repetition of the pattern can take place in the knitting stations II, IV, VI and VIII.

In every knitting station II, IV, VI and VIII cam box parts, namely circular ring sectors 57 to 60 are provided which have clearing cam faces 57a to 60a inwardly rising in radial direction toward the needle cylinder, and cooperating with the top butts 72d of the pattern jacks 72, and tilt all pattern jacks 72 which are in the inoperative position shortly before the selection to the operative position, so that all pattern jacks approaching the selector means are in the operative position, whereupon those pattern jacks are selected which are not to be raised in the next following knitting station. The selected pattern jacks 72 which are not to be moved up by the earns 25, 27, 29, 31, and are not to be moved down by return cams 17, 19, 21, 23 in the knitting stations directly following the selector means 61, 64, are held by the cams 25 to 32 in the position pushed back into the channels of the needle cylinder, since the inner surface of these cams is disposed directly in front of the outer edge of the pattern jack butts 72a, and prevents outward tilting of the same. When the pattern jacks 72 are guided in the respective channels only with very little friction, it is possible that the pattern jacks 72 swing outward due to the action of the centrifugal force.

In the regions 25a, 27a, 23a and 31a the cam track is disposed slightly above the bottom edge of butt 72a, so that undesired outward swinging of the lower portions of pattern jacks 72 is impossible for all pattern jacks whose lower portion has been pushed back into the inoperative position by the selector means 61 to 64 in accordance with the desired pattern. At the places where the selection takes place, in the regions of the selector means 61 to 64, the horizontal track portions 26a, 28a, 30a and 32a along which butts 72a travel, slightly below the bottom edge of the respective butts 72a so that before and during the selection, those pattern jacks 72 whose lower portion was not tilted inward, do not engage the respective slide faces of this track with the butt 72a. Between the pattern jacks operated by the selector means 61 to 64, and the beginning of the rising tracks of earns 25, 27, 29 and 31, there is a gap which is narrower than the thickness of a pattern iack 72 so that it is impossible for a pattern jack 72 in the inoperative position to tilt into engagement with the slide faces of cams 25 to 32.

Those pattern jacks 72 which are selected by the selector means 61 to 64, and whose butts 72a are raised by reinforcement cams 25 to 32, while the respective middle butts 720 are downwardly guided by return cams 17 to 24, are not lowered as far down after the selection by return cams 17, 19, 21 and 23 as by the return cams 18, 20, 22 and 24. The difference in height corresponds to the vertical spacing between the horizontal parts 31a and 32a. In this manner it is prevented that the butt 72a of a pattern jack 72 collides with the high horizontal cam tracks 25a, 27a, 29a, 31a of the track guiding the respect1e butt which may cause damage to the pattern jack 72.

In order to prevent after a new selection tilting of a downward moving pattern jack which would cause retraction of its lower portion from the region of the lower track, the upper butt 72d engages with its outer edge, a radially inwardly rising slanted surface 57b to 60b which prevents a tilting of the pattern jacks in a radial plane passing through the axis of the needle cylinder.

The holding cam faces 57b to 60b are provided before the clearing cam faces 57a to 60a on ring sectors 57 to 60 of the cam box, or are integral with the same. The vertical circular inner surfaces of ring sectors 57 to 60 confront the needle cylinder and are in engagement with the outer edge of the top butt 72d when the respective pattern jack 72 is in its inoperative position. The rising holding cam faces 57b to 60b are not quite half as wide as the ring sectors 57 to 60 are high, and are located at the level of the upper half of the same to block the same, so that the pattern jacks are free to tilt only when the upper edge of the butts of the pattern jacks has left the rising faces 57b to 60b after completion of the downward movement. The blocking of the tilting movement has the purpose that the pattern jack is not in an unstable condition during the downward movement which would cause the danger of a collision of the pattern jack with cams 65 to 68. In the event that the previously selected pattern jacks were not cleared by cams 65 to 68, they are also prevented from assuming a tilted position which does not assure a reliable guidance on the rising tracks of cams 25, 26, 28, 3t) and 32.

The return of the pattern jacks to the inoperative position by tilting movement, can be produced by the pressure of the return cams 17 to 24 on the upper edge of the middle butt 720 provided that the pattern jacks are not resiliently mounted, and slide in the respective channels practically without friction.

When pattern jacks 72 are in the lower position, the lower ends 72b are guided on the horizontal ring track 69.

FIG. 7 shows the manner in which a snag resistant fabric is knitted by using a needle selection for a plain and 1:1 tuck fabric, whereas FIG. 8 shows the manner in which a 3:1 micro mesh fabric is made by using a needle selector for a plain and 3:1 tuck fabric knitted on the apparatus. The paths of the needle butts 70a and of the top and bottom butts 71a and 71b of the needle jacks 71 are shown in two knitting stations VI and VII. Corresponding operations take place in the other knitting stations, but are not illustrated. Pattern jacks 72 do not participate in knitting operations of this type, and have no influence on the needle motions. The guide cams 51 and 44 are operative, as indicated by hatching. Guide cam 55 is also operative. In the knitting operation shown in FIG. 8, the lower butts 71a, 71b, 71c, 71d, 71c, 71 are operative.

In the knitting operation illustrated in FIG. 9, needle jacks 71 are operative, as well as the pattern jacks 72 which, however, have no effect on the selection and operation of the needle jacks 71 and needles 70 since cams 33 to 40 are in operative positions. Butts 72a are guided by cams 25 to 32, and butts 72c are guided by cams 17 to 24. As shown by hatching in FIG. 9, guide cams 55, 39, 40, 47, 51 and 44 are operative. In this manner, a reinforced fabric is knitted since all needles 70 take two yarns.

FIG. illustrates the knitting operation in which the selection is effected in four knitting stations by the pattern jacks 72. The selected pattern is twice repeated, and the same selection is carried out at two knitting stations. The selection by the selecting means 63 following the selecting means 64 is different from the selection carried out by selector means 64. In this manner, a float pattern is knitted since needles 70 which are not raised under the control of selector means at 1e to 8e reach the highest position only at 1 to 8 The yarn supplied at 12 to 82 is floated, while the needles 70 raised at 12 to 82 form stitches of two yarns.

All guides cams 55, 39, 40, 51, which do not cooperate with the butts of pattern jacks 72, are inoperative, and the selection and operation is effected by the pattern jacks 72 and cams 44 and 47 which act on needle jacks 71.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate how a guide cam, for example, guide cam 56 is moved between the inoperative position shown in FIG. 4 and the operative position shown in FIG. 3. As explained above, guide cam 56 is guided in a guide wall 101 of the cam box, biased by spring 103, and operated by Bowden cable 80 to move between the operative position shown in FIG. 3 and the inoperative position shown in FIG. 4.

It is possible to provide needle jacks which have long butts, for example, 71c, 71d, as shown in FIG. 5, and to move the respective cooperating guide cam 56 between two operative positions. Bowden cable 80 operates a cam 79 biassed by spring 79a for retracting guide cam 56, or a corresponding guide cam. to its inoperative position, not shown, a second cam face 7% which causes cooperation of guide cam 57 with the long butt 71c, and a third cam fave 790 in which guide cam 57 cooperates with the regular butt 7E0.

The Bowden cables by which the respective guide cams are shifted between inoperative and operative positions, are controlled in the usual manner by the main pattern drum of the circular knitting machine.

The long butts of the needle jacks 71 are positioned so that for a 1:1 selection for knitting a plain fabric, every second needle jack has a lonog butt, as in the arrangement of FIG. 7.

By operation according to FIG. 8, when a micromesh fabric is knitted, the guide cam 55 cooperates with all needle jacks 71 which have a bong butt 71d. In the illustrated position, every fourth needle jack 71 is without the long butt and has only a short butt so that a needle selection for a 3:1 tuck fabric is obtained, as shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates the feeding of the main yarn 93d and additional yarn 93e for a reinforced fabric and for a float pattern. Yarn guides 93a and 93 are shown to supply the main yarn and the additional yarn, and as is apparent from FIG. 6, the needless are first raised knit both yarns 732 and 73d, while the needles 70b which are later raised to the knit position, only catch the main yarn 73d so that the additional yarn 732 floats. In this manner loose transparent loops, as well as opaque two-thread loops are formed.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of circular knitting machines differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a needle control arrangement for knitting reinforcements and floats patterns on a circular knitting machine, it is onto intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Needle control arrangement for a circular knitting machine, having a plurality of knitting stations, comprising, in combination, first and second feeding means at each knitting station for feeding at successive first and second feeding points, an additional yarn and a main yarn, respectively; a needle cylinder having guide channels, and being rotatable about a vertical axis; a needle having needle butt means, and jack means having jack butt means movably mounted in each guide channel; cam box means surrounding said needle cylinder and having sections corresponding to said knitting stations, and having at each section needle cam means cooperating with said needle butt means, and jack cam means cooperating with said jack butt means, said needle cam means including a horizontal track for guiding said needle butt means in the knit position of the respective needle between said first and second feeding points and a stitch cam following said horizontal track, said jack cam means including steep guide cam means for guiding said jack butt means rapidly upward so that the respective jack means moves the respective needle rapidly to a knit position in which the respective needle butt means abuts said horizontal track at said first feeding point, a less steep guide cam means for guiding said jack butt means to a tuck position, or to a knit position in which the respective needle butt means abuts said horizontal track at said second feeding point, main return cam means cooperating with said jack butt means for lowering said jack means, control return cam means at alternate knitting stations located between said steep guide cam means and said main return cam means and engaging said jack butt means for guiding said jack means to a lower position while said needle butt means moves along said horizontal track, and guide cams at said alternate knitting stations following said control return cam means and cooperating with said jack butt means for moving said jack means and needles, which were not raised to said knit position at said first feeding point, in

accordance with a pattern to said knit position at said second feeding point.

2. Needle control arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said jack means include jacks having regular butts of a given length, and special jacks having long butts of a greater length; wherein said steep guide cam means are positioned for cooperation only with said longer butts; wherein a special jack is provided for each reinforced wale knitted of a main yarn and of an additional yarn; and wherein said main return cam means engages said regular butts and said long butts for lowering said jacks.

3. Needle control arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said guide cams at said alternate knitting stations are movable between inoperative and operative positions.

4. Needle control arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said jack butt means include a top butt and a bottom butt on each jack means, said top butts cooperating with said steep guide cam means, with said main return cam means, and with said control return cam means, and said bottom butts cooperating with said less steep guide cam means; and wherein the vertical distance between the lowest point of said control return cam means and the corresponding point of said less steep guide cam means is equal to the vertical distance between the top edge of said top butt and the bottom edge of said bottom butt.

5. Needle control arrangement as claimed in claim 4 wherein said control return cam means has a downward slanted edge for guiding said jack means to said lower position, and a following upward slanted edge which is parallel to the tracks of said guide cams at said alternate knitting stations.

6. Needle control arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said guide cams are disposed at different levels; wherein said jack butt means include a top butt cooperating with said steep guide cam means, with said main return cam means, and with said control return cam means, a bottom butt cooperating with said less steep guide cam means; and a plurality of intermediate butts between said top butt and said bottom butt and being respectively located at the levels of said guide cams and cooperating with the same respectively.

7. Needle control arrangement as claimed in claim 3 wherein said guide cams at said alternate knitting stations are in said inoperative positions and do not cooperate with said jack butt means; wherein each jack means includes a needle jack having first butts, and a pattern jack having second butts and being disposed under said needle jack, the respective needle being located above said needle jack in the respective guide channel so that said pattern jack controls said needle through said needle jack; wherein each pattern jack is movable between an inoperative position and an operative position; comprising selector means for moving said pattern jacks between said positions, wherein said jack cam means comprise other steep reinforcement and float pattern guide cam means cooperating with said second butts of said pattern jacks in said operative position so that the same raise said needle jacks and thereby said needles rapidly to said knit position in which said needle butt abuts said horizontal track at said first feeding point; and wherein said less steep guide cam means follow said control return cam means and act on said first butts of said needle jacks so that the same raise said needles which were not raised to said knit position at said first feeding point, to said knit position or tuck position, respectively at said second feeding point.

8. Needle control arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said each jack means includes a needle jack having a first butt, and a pattern jack having a second butt and being disposed under said needle jack, the respective needle being located above said needle jack in the respective guide channel so that said pattern jack controls said needle through said needle jack; wherein said steep guide cam means cooperate with said second butts for raising said pattern jacks and thereby said needles rapidly to said knit position in which said needle butt abuts said horizontal track at said first feeding point and wherein said less steep guide cam means follow said control return cam means and act on said first butts of said needle jacks so that the same raise said needles which were not raised to said knit position at said first feeding point, to said knit position or tuck position, respectively at said second feeding point.

9. Needle control arrangement as claimed in claim 8 comprising selector means at every alternate knitting station for moving said second butts of selected pattern jacks in radial direction to a position cooperating with said steep guide cam means for the repetition of the selec tion of previously selected pattern jacks; and wherein said jack cam means include clearing cams at every other alternate knitting station cooperating wtih said second butts of raised pattern jacks to move the same to an inoperative position.

16). Needle control arrangement as claimed in claim 9 wherein said jack cam means include return cam means at every knitting station cooperating with third butts for lowering raised pattern jacks; and ring sectors at alternate knitting stations having holding cam faces having a smaller radius than said ring sectors and located at the level of the higher portions of said ring sectors and cooperating with said pattern jacks only when the same are raised in order to keep the pattern jacks in a displaced position as long as the same are in the lowest position, said holding cam faces being aligned with the lowest parts of said return cam means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,164,119 6/1939 McAdams 66--135 2,827,780 3/1958 Mahler 6642 X 3,111,827 11/1963 Mahler et al. 6649 3,181,313 5/1965 Crawford et al. 6642 OTHER REFERENCES German printed application No. 1,251,456, October 1967, Merz.

WILLIAM C. REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 6649 

